The official Palestinian Authority daily has reported that a 23-year-old Palestinian man wished to die as a Martyr because he would then marry the 70 Virgins of Paradise.

Saba Abu Obeid, who was shot during violent clashes with Israeli soldiers and later died of his wounds, had told his grandmother he was hoping to die, because "70 beauties are waiting for me." According to Islam, one of the Martyr's rewards is to marry 72 Dark-Eyed Maidens, and the PA in fact describes Martyrs' funerals as weddings.

Obeid's grandmother recounted:

"He asked me to sound cries of joy if he died as a Martyr. I told him: 'Everyone who seeks Martyrdom-death (Shahada) is entitled to achieve it, but I want to marry you off and rejoice in your happiness.' He told me: 'Grandmother, 70 beauties are waiting for me in Paradise, why should I replace them with the women of this world?'"

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 25, 2017]

This story reflects years of PA indoctrination to its people that Shahada - Martyrdom - is "sweet." During the PA's terror campaign 2000-2005 (the second Intifada), PA TV targeted kids with this message, telling them that Martyrdom was an ideal to strive for.

In 2002, today's young man of 23 was 8 years old, and possibly watched the following program for youth on PA TV, which Palestinian Media Watch exposed at the time. Two 11-year-old girls explained that "Shahada is beautiful" and that "everyone yearns for Shahada." They stated that "going to Paradise" is "sweet" and that what really matters is "the Afterlife."

Host: "You described Shahada (Martyrdom) as something beautiful. Do you think it is beautiful?"

Walla, aged 11: "Shahada (Martyrdom) is a very, very beautiful thing. Everyone yearns for Shahada. What could be sweeter than going to paradise?"

Host: "What is better, peace and full rights for the Palestinian people, or Shahada?"

Walla: "Shahada. I will achieve my rights after becoming a Shahida (Martyr)."

Host: "Ok, Yussra, would you agree with that?"

Yussra, aged 11: "Of course,Shahada is sweet. We don't want this world, we want the Afterlife. We benefit not from this life, but from the Afterlife."

[Official PA TV, June 9, 2002]

Another girl who called in to the program said that it was "natural" that 17-year-old suicide bomber Ayyat Al-Akhras "blew herself up."

Children were talking like this because of the intense PA Martyrdom promotion, at the time such as the religious figure who demanded:

"The believer was created ... to be a Shahid (Martyr) or intend to be one. If the believer doesn't hope for Shahada (Death for Allah), he will die a Jahiliya death (without faith). We must aim for Shahada and request it from Allah. If we truthfully ask for it, [Allah] will grant us its rewards, even if we die in bed."

Therefore, it is not surprising that today's 23-year-old Palestinian - who grew up on these messages - wished to die as a "Martyr."

The following is a longer excerpt of the report on the 23-year-old's wish to die as a Martyr:

Headline: "Saba Abu Obeid: Sound cries of joy if I die as a Martyr"

"On the day of rage that was held on Friday, May 12, 2017, Saba Nidal Abu Obeid, 23, died as a Martyr (Shahid) after he was wounded by a gunshot to the chest. The bullet split his heart on the lands of Nabi Saleh village, north of Ramallah, during a procession of support for the prisoners waging the hunger strike...

'The greatest sacrifice a mother can bear is to separate from her son,' said the Martyr's grandmother. She added that one night she stayed awake with his mother, and he took food and sat at the room's entrance... [She said:] 'He asked me to sound cries of joy if he died as a Martyr. I told him: "Everyone who seeks Martyrdom-death (Shahada) is entitled to achieve it, but I want to marry you off and rejoice in your happiness." He told me: "Grandmother, 70 beauties are waiting for me in Paradise, why should I replace them with the women of this world (i.e., Islamic tradition teaches that a Shahid (Martyr) marries 72 Virgins in Paradise)?'"

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, May 25, 2017]

Saba Nidal Abu Obeid - A 23-year-old Palestinian rioter who took part in large violent clashes with Israeli army forces at Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, on May 12, 2017. Abu Obeid threw rocks at the forces and in response they shot and wounded him with a small metal Ruger bullet, which is considered to be non-lethal and meant for crowd dispersal. Abu Obeid later died of his wounds.